Once In a Lifetime Offer
by MidNight Raven Star
Summary: Constantly stuck with hopes of leaving, I met a man who acknowledged me. Listened to my opinions. When I told him of my dreams he swept me away and gave me an offer that I was a fool to refuse. So why did I? Because I had responsibilities. Movie based


I sighed boredly as I looked out the window, starting to zone out at the beauty of the outside world. How many times had I longed to go out there? Too many to count. The teacher's voice became nothing more than a murmur of the background as I thought of different things that could get me to get out of the castle. All of them ending with me being in trouble. Since my brother, Prince Justin, had disappeared, it's been harder for me to try and leave. I wanted to leave so bad, enough to not even care if I ran into the Wizard Howl and he decided to eat my heart out. Though honestly I doubt he would do that.

The loud crack of a ruler against my desk brought me out of my thoughts and made me come back down to earth. I looked up and saw my teacher, though he is more of a tutor, glaring down at me through those over sized glasses of his. He reminded me of an owl with how he looked sometimes. "Honestly Princess Ellain, if you keep that up, you'll never be fit for ruling the kingdom. With your brother gone, you need to accept the responsibilities that befall on you now," my tutor lectured me, making me zone out again. He always told me this just about everyday. I got this lecture from just about everyone about how now I need to take over the throne and a whole bunch of other irritating matters that I would rather not think about. "...and that is why tonight you should try to find a suitor to rule with you." Wait, what did he just say!

"What do you mean find a suitor to rule with me!" I yelled as I slammed my hands down on my desk. I was absolutely _furious_ about this.

He looked at me in surprise before he took on a look of rage. "Princess Ellain! You must not break into fits like that! They are unsuitable for someone of your status. Either way, you should have seen this coming! A lady cannot rule without a man beside her," my tutor told me with a look of annoyance. That was the most sexist thing that I had ever heard. It spurred on my anger, but I let it slide and sat back down. The sooner this was over, the sooner I could stop these lessons.

Time had finally passed and the party had arrived. My arrival was announced and formalities were done. Now I was sitting to the side, away from everyone else. I hated wearing dresses and I hated events with many people. These two combined together put me on edge. It was then that I noticed a man coming towards me. I looked away, hoping he didn't notice that I noticed him. Unfortunately, my prayers were unanswered.

"Excuse me madam, but may I have the honor of being the first to dance with you?" the man asked as he held out his hand. I opened my mouth to reject the offer put was more or less beaten.

"I'm sorry sir, but you see her highness has already promised me the first dance. Correct you highness?" a new man asked me as he came from practically no where. He had blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes that seemed to pierce my soul. I involuntarily shuddered at the feeling it gave me and, for whatever I was thinking, nodded my head in agreement. The first man frowned but agreed nonetheless.

The blue-eyed man took my hand and brought me out to the dance floor. He placed a hand on my hip and took one of my hands in the other. I rested my other hand on his shoulder and we started to dance. "So you are Princess Ellain? Honestly I expected more," the man said as we waltzed around the room. I frowned at this because I had always gotten this from people. "Not that I'm saying you are amazing enough," he continued, obviously flirting with me.

My frown increased. "And who are you to speak like that to me, hm? Who are you?" I asked, irritation showing in my voice. I never had a good temper to be honest, and it was people like him who set my temper off. In recent days I had also become more violent.

"You mean, you don't know who I am?" the man asked with what seemed like genuine surprise. I shook my head in answer. I didn't know much about this man, but I did know that he was a pompous player. "I am the great Wizard Pendragon. I am honestly surprised someone of your status wouldn't know of me!" he replied to my ignorance.

A gasp left my lips as I heard this. This man was the Wizard Pendragon? It is a surprise that I don't know him. Most of the people in the kingdom knew of him just from how people described him. Well, I guess that shows how much I actually go out. That's right, never. "I-I'm sorry! I've never really left so I only hear of you in passing conversations. My parents don't like the idea of wizards that much. I deeply apologize, Mister Pendragon," I stuttered as I tried to hide my wonder.

He only replied with a chuckle which settled my nerves. The song that we danced to ended and a new one started. It was then that I noticed we had danced towards the balcony which was only opened on occasions like these. He let go of me and offered his arm to me. I took it and we walked onto the balcony which had various species of flowers. My favorites being the lilies. We went out so that we were near the railing which I decided to lean against.

"So tell me, what is it like outside of this place? The town, the country side, the Wastes even. What is it like to be free?" I asked, unable to stop the flow of words from my mouth. I glanced at him from the side of my eyes and saw that he was eyeing me strangely. "What is it?"

"It's...just astonishing that you've never left the castle. Most people of royal blood travel out at least once," he replied to the last question. After receiving a pointed look from me, he resumed speaking again. "It...It's nice. But even so one is not truly free. You still have to follow the laws and do as those above you order, but besides that it is really nice. Tell me, where would you go if you could leave here?" he asked me. I was surprised because no one had asked such a thing before. Mostly people told me, or at least tried to, how to feel and how to act. Now here was this man who I had only heard of through stories, barely even that, asking me what I thought? My own opinion?

I shook my head of these thoughts and looked above me at the night sky. "I'd go...to the Wastes," I replied, looking back down and smiling lightly.

"Why? You do know that Wizard Howl lives out there. He eats the hearts of pretty girls like you," he told me. At this I snorted and started to laugh, probably making a complete fool of myself. If only he knew what I had been thinking earlier.

"I don't think that Howl would really eat a heart in all honesty. I think he's just afraid to see other people. And even if he did...I wouldn't care," I admitted to Pendragon. It was so odd to be able to voice my thoughts. To a stranger at that! One who would really listen and not just pretend because of my status! I glanced at Pendragon again and saw a questioning look on his face. "If I got the chance to go out to the Wastes, I wouldn't care what happened to me." I finished with a sigh.

"But why? You never mentioned why you would go to the Wastes."  
I smiled and then stood up straight. Looking him in the eye, I said, "Because I think...that the stars would look amazing." He looked at me with an emotionless face. I couldn't even tell what he might be thinking by his brilliant eyes.

Then he started to laugh. I frowned at this action. Did he really think that my reasons were that pathetic? "Just to see the stars, hm? You are the most unusual person I have ever met. Especially one of royalty!" Pendragon told me with a laugh in his voice. He was so carefree I couldn't help but wonder how he might serve under Lady Sullivan.

I smiled back at him and admitted, "I guess it is an odd thing to say, isn't it?"

He nodded and held out his hand. I looked at him questioningly before he said, "You mention you never went outside the castle, so now I'm giving you the chance to do so. Will you come?" My mouth dropped in shock of what he was asking me. Could this be something to kidnap me? Or is he serious about this? How does he even plan to leave without us getting caught? These questions buzzed around before I went ahead and took his hand. He pulled me towards him and hefted himself and me over the railings. I squeaked and held on tight to him, sure that we were going to fall. When we didn't, I opened my eyes. It was then that I noticed we were floating in the air. He laughed again at my actions and shifted so that my arm was around his like we were when we had first walked onto the balcony.

"No need to be afraid. Just act as though you were taking a normal walk," he told me, his voice soothing my nerves once again. It seemed so odd to me how I trusted him so easily. I did as he said and we walked through the air. I tried not to look down as we walked. Looking ahead, I realized we were more or less heading in the direction of the Wastes. I gave him a questioning look and he nodded, as if answering the question in my mind. Half an hour later we were a quarter of a mile into the Wastes.

When we touched down I nearly fell, from both the shock and amazement of the trip. Thankfully for me Pendragon held me up. I looked up at the night sky and saw that it was more beautiful that I had expected it to be. The stars shined above me like millions of glittering diamonds knitted into a dark blue blanket. "Beautiful isn't it?" Pendragon asked me. I could only nod. Beautiful didn't even cover half of it.

I looked at him and hugged him. "Thank you Mister Pendragon. It's more wondrous than I thought it would be." I was so happy that I could have started crying then and there. I couldn't stop the grin that kept coming onto my face.

"Tell me, how would you react if I told you that I was Howl?" he asked me with a glint in his eye. I tilted my head to the side in slight confusion. Was he saying that he was Howl? I glanced over his shoulder and saw a monstrous thing that continued to walk closer to us. I looked back at him and my mouth dropped. Pendragon and Howl were the same person? It seemed impossible yet right at the same time. "Well, I guess that answers my question," Howl said with a chuckle.

I frowned. "How did you expect I would react? Wait, don't answer that," I said as I watched him open his mouth to reply.

"What if I gave you the once in a lifetime offer traveling with me?" he asked with a serious expression on his face. My eyes widened slightly before I closed my eyes and smiled.

"As much as I would like to say yes, and as much as I hate to admit it, I have duties here. If my brother were here, yes. Unfortunately he isn't so the answer is no. I can suddenly disappear on the people like him. Thank you though. Does this mean goodbye?" I replied and asked him. He nodded and patted my head, leaving without another word. He headed towards the moving contraption that must have been the house I'd heard a bit about. He stepped onto one of the steps and waved to me as is headed towards my left. I waved back and watched as he entered the house. As I watched the house get farther and farther away, realization hit me. "Howl! You could have at least taken me back home!" I could almost hear his laughter ringing in my ears.

Weeks after getting home after that event, I was bedridden with an unknown illness. I mindlessly wondered if this was because I left. If I was sick because of the change. I also wondered how Howl was doing with his odd home and ways.

Months after that, my brother came back. When he had told me what had happened. He said that he had been turned into a scarecrow with a turnip for a head and was found by an old lady who was also cursed. He explained the events that followed that and how he had met a wizard named Howl. I lightly smiled hearing that and reminisced on that one day.

Not long after that, I ended up…leaving you could say. I could practically feel the life draining out of me. One thing that kept popping up in my mind was what it would have been like if I had accepted. The one thing that I regretted out of all the things that happened. Besides not working better and not more cooperative was that one thing.

What would have happened if I agreed to that once in a lifetime offer?

**Okay, I know, I know, I need to work on my other stories. I'm in the process of making one and will start on the other soon after. I typed this up for Quizilla in about two hours because this suddenly popped up. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about for making stories, forget what I said about that. It was only me babbling to people who actually read my stories. Thanks for your time everyone and hope you're having a great summer.**

**~~MNRS **


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